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fb 777 casino Asked if there was any special meaning to playing on Christmas for a second straight season, Lamar Jackson paused for several seconds before answering. That said it all. “I mean, it is,” he finally replied, trying to be diplomatic. “That means we're good, but at the same time, I do want to celebrate at home sometimes with my family now. I don't want to be playing on Christmas all the time — not all the time.” That sentiment seemed common among the Baltimore Ravens players this week as they prepared for their second consecutive Christmas road game. Jackson and his teammates will face the Houston Texans on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Kansas City Chiefs play at Pittsburgh. Games on Christmas aren't new to the NFL. The Miami Dolphins famously beat the Chiefs in a playoff game on Dec. 25, 1971 — a double-overtime classic that still holds the record for the NFL's longest game. In 2020, New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara tied an NFL record with six touchdowns in a game when the Saints beat Minnesota on Christmas. Lately, however, the league has been much more aggressive about scheduling games on Christmas. There were three last year on a Monday, and this week there are two. The four teams in action this Wednesday all played this past Saturday, giving them a little more time to prepare. But each is still wrapping up a stretch of three games in 11 games. And for Baltimore and Kansas City — the teams spending the holiday on the road — this means a bit of a scramble to find time to celebrate with loved ones. “Santa hasn’t come yet, but as far as my family, we traded gifts (over the weekend),” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “(His wife) Brittany’s a champ because I’m not there to help build the toys my family got, and the kids have opened up every single one of them.” The Chiefs are playing on Christmas for a second year in a row, although they were at home last season. Baltimore tackle Ronnie Stanley said there is an offensive line Christmas party planned for Friday at center Tyler Linderbaum's house. Jackson’s plan is to celebrate on Thursday. “I already celebrated Christmas with my family this past week," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. "It’s more about the thought of calling people Christmas morning and just going out there and being able to go out in front of my whole family and do what I love. That’s how I’ll celebrate.” The Ravens also have celebrated a bit as a group already. “We actually had a team dinner last night here, which was really neat. And our chefs were incredible (with) what they put out there, so that was fun,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "And we are going to have the ability for family members from the Houston area to come over for the team snack after we do a walkthrough (Tuesday) night.” Don't expect Christmas games to go away any time soon. Netflix agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games. Playing on the holiday certainly gives teams a chance to be in the spotlight, although the Chiefs and Ravens already get plenty of that. The Ravens-Texans game features a halftime performance by Beyoncé. “Wasn't there a time when somebody was out peeking outside the locker room door during the Super Bowl or something like that? Was there some story on that?” Harbaugh said. “He got in trouble for it? There will be big trouble. I like Beyoncé, though. I can't say I'm a huge Beyoncé fan, but I think I like her.” Jackson, seemingly unaware of Harbaugh's attempt to lay down the law about the halftime show, arrived at the microphone immediately after the coach. “I'm going to go out there and watch,” the star quarterback said. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it's at our game — that's dope. I'm going to go out and watch. Sorry Harbaugh, sorry fellas.”Elias Cato scores 23 as Central Arkansas tops UNC Asheville 92-83 in double OT

Elias Cato scores 23 as Central Arkansas tops UNC Asheville 92-83 in double OTFormer US president Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” World leaders have paid tribute to Mr Carter, including US President Joe Biden, who was one of the first politicians to endorse Mr Carter for president in 1976 and said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.” Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Carter was “a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world”. He added: “On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my sympathies to President Carter’s children and extended family, to President Joe Biden, to the people of the United States, and to his wide circle of colleagues and friends across the globe.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally, the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center managed to virtually eliminate Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.

Former US president Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.Lucknow, Nov 24 (PTI) BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday alleged irregularities in voting in the recent Uttar Pradesh bypolls and said her party will not contest by-elections in the future, particularly in the state, “until the Election Commission takes measures to prevent fake voting”. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also held the Yogi Adityanath-led state government responsible for the violence in Sambhal district over the survey of a mosque. Bypolls to nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh were held on November 20 and the results were declared on Saturday. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested all the seats unsuccessfully. The BSP candidates were pushed to the third spot in seven seats while in two seats, they came fifth, even behind the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidates. The party’s poor show led to the charge of being a “vote katwa” — a term meant to accuse it of cutting into the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) votes, especially in Katehari and Phulpur, in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Mayawati-led party posted its best performance in Katehari, where its candidate Amit Verma got 41,647 votes to emerge third. SP leaders alleged that the BSP helped the BJP’s Dharamraj Nishad win the seat by cutting into the votes of its candidate, Shobhawati Verma, who lost the contest by a margin of 34,514 votes. The BSP’s worst show was in Kundarki, where its candidate Rafatulla polled a meagre 1,099 votes. Ramveer Singh of the BJP won the seat, defeating SP’s Mohammad Rizwan by a massive margin of 1,44,791 votes. Singh received 1,70,371 votes against Rizwan’s 25,580 votes. “In the bypolls to the nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, there was widespread discussion about the votes cast and the results announced on Saturday. I am not saying this myself, it is a common perception among people that earlier, during elections conducted with ballot papers, fake votes were cast by misusing the system, often through fraud. “Now, similar practices are being carried out using EVMs (electronic voting machines), which is a matter of deep sorrow and concern for democracy,” Mayawati told a press conference here. These activities are now being executed more openly, especially during bypolls, she claimed. “We witnessed this in the Uttar Pradesh bypolls. Similar concerns have also been raised regarding the recent (Assembly) election in Maharashtra. This is a major warning bell for democracy in our country,” the BSP chief said. “Given this situation, our party has decided that until the Election Commission takes strict measures to prevent fake voting, we will not participate in any bypoll across the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. I am specifically referring to bypolls here,” she added. As far as the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls are concerned, there is a somewhat better safeguard because the fear of power changing hands makes the state machinery more cautious, Mayawati said. “In these elections, it is not guaranteed that the ruling party will retain power and there are chances that another party may take over. This fear keeps the government machinery somewhat restrained,” she added. Considering all these factors, the BSP will contest elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies with full preparation and strength, Mayawati stressed. In the bypolls, the BJP and its ally, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), won seven seats together while SP candidates emerged victorious in two. Mayawati noted that after the BSP formed an independent majority government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, the Congress, the BJP and their “caste-based” allies became highly anxious. “They feared that if the BSP comes to power at the Centre, it would realise the incomplete dreams of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and his follower, the respected Kanshi Ramji, in every aspect. To prevent this, these casteist parties — Congress, BJP and their associates — secretly colluded. “Together, they manipulated and used opportunistic, self-serving individuals from the Dalit community to create numerous parties. These parties are entirely funded by the same groups to serve their interests,” Mayawati claimed. This is why these parties travel with dozens of vehicles and even use helicopters and aeroplanes for their election campaigns. These things are widely discussed among the public, she said. The BSP, on the other hand, raises funds independently through memberships and other contributions. It is worth noting that these opposing parties are weakening the BSP for their political gains by fielding candidates who align with their interests, Mayawati said. “Furthermore, to strengthen these self-serving and opportunistic groups, our opponents are even transferring their votes to them and ensuring that one or two MPs or MLAs from such groups get elected in each state,” she claimed. “Therefore, it is imperative for Dalits, Adivasis and other backward communities not to waste even a single vote on these selfish and opportunistic parties,” the BSP chief said. Mayawati pointed out that this pattern was witnessed in the recent Assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand as well as in the Uttar Pradesh bypolls. She blamed the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for the unrest in Sambhal. “Following Saturday’s unexpected bypoll results in the state, there has been significant tension in Sambhal district and the entire Moradabad division. In such a situation, the administration should have postponed the survey of mosque and temple properties in Sambhal to maintain peace. “Instead, the survey conducted on Sunday has led to unrest and violence, for which the Uttar Pradesh government and administration are entirely responsible. This is highly condemnable. Such actions should have been carried out peacefully by involving both sides, which was not done. I appeal to the people of Sambhal to maintain peace and order in these challenging times,” Mayawati said. Three persons were killed and scores of people, including around 20 security personnel and four personnel of the administration, were injured as protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque clashed with police in Sambhal on Sunday. PTI KIS NAV RC This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Weekly Money Horoscope ( Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 4, 2025): These Zodiac signs will witness financial growth in the first week of New Year

SR Mahesh rejects accusations by GTDNEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery's podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him,” Young wrote. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. In 1983, Woolery began an 11-year run as host of TV’s “Love Connection,” for which he coined the phrase, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds,” a two-fingered signature dubbed the “2 and 2.” In 1984, he hosted TV’s “Scrabble,” simultaneously hosting two game shows on TV until 1990. “Love Connection,” which aired long before the dawn of dating apps, had a premise that featured either a single man or single woman who would watch audition tapes of three potential mates and then pick one for a date. A couple of weeks after the date, the guest would sit with Woolery in front of a studio audience and tell everybody about the date. The audience would vote on the three contestants, and if the audience agreed with the guest’s choice, “Love Connection” would offer to pay for a second date. Woolery told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2003 that his favorite set of lovebirds was a man aged 91 and a woman aged 87. "She had so much eye makeup on, she looked like a stolen Corvette. He was so old he said, ‘I remember wagon trains.’ The poor guy. She took him on a balloon ride.” Other career highlights included hosting the shows “Lingo," “Greed” and “The Chuck Woolery Show,” as well as hosting the short-lived syndicated revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000 and an ill-fated 1991 talk show. In 1992, he played himself in two episodes of TV’s “Melrose Place.” Woolery became the subject of the Game Show Network’s first attempt at a reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” which premiered in 2003. It shared the title of the pop song in 1968 by Woolery and his rock group, the Avant-Garde. It lasted six episode and was panned by critics. Woolery began his TV career at a show that has become a mainstay. Although most associated with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, “Wheel of Fortune” debuted Jan. 6, 1975, on NBC with Woolery welcoming contestants and the audience. Woolery, then 33, was trying to make it in Nashville as a singer. “Wheel of Fortune” started life as “Shopper’s Bazaar,” incorporating Hangman-style puzzles and a roulette wheel. After Woolery appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” singing “Delta Dawn,” Merv Griffin asked him to host the new show with Susan Stafford. “I had an interview that stretched to 15, 20 minutes,” Woolery told The New York Times in 2003. “After the show, when Merv asked if I wanted to do a game show, I thought, ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad mustache who doesn’t care what you have to say — that’s the guy I want to be.’” NBC initially passed, but they retooled it as “Wheel of Fortune” and got the green light. After a few years, Woolery demanded a raise to $500,000 a year, or what host Peter Marshall was making on “Hollywood Squares.” Griffin balked and replaced Woolery with weather reporter Pat Sajak. “Both Chuck and Susie did a fine job, and ‘Wheel’ did well enough on NBC, although it never approached the kind of ratings success that ‘Jeopardy!’ achieved in its heyday,” Griffin said in “Merv: Making the Good Life Last,” an autobiography from the 2000s co-written by David Bender. Woolery earned an Emmy nod as host. Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery served in the U.S. Navy before attending college. He played double bass in a folk trio, then formed the psychedelic rock duo The Avant-Garde in 1967 while working as a truck driver to support himself as a musician. The Avant-Garde, which tourbed in a refitted Cadillac hearse, had the Top 40 hit “Naturally Stoned,” with Woolery singing, “When I put my mind on you alone/I can get a good sensation/Feel like I’m naturally stoned.” After The Avant-Garde broke up, Woolery released his debut solo single “I’ve Been Wrong” in 1969 and several more singles with Columbia before transitioning to country music by the 1970s. He released two solo singles, “Forgive My Heart” and “Love Me, Love Me.” Woolery wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and everyone from Pat Boone to Tammy Wynette. On Wynette’s 1971 album “We Sure Can Love Each Other,” Woolery wrote “The Joys of Being a Woman” with lyrics including “See our baby on the swing/Hear her laugh, hear her scream.” After his TV career ended, Woolery went into podcasting. In an interview with The New York Times, he called himself a gun-rights activist and described himself as a conservative libertarian and constitutionalist. He said he hadn’t revealed his politics in liberal Hollywood for fear of retribution. He teamed up with Mark Young in 2014 for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and soon became a full supporter of Donald Trump while arguing minorities don’t need civil rights and causing a firestorm by tweeting an antisemitic comment linking Soviet Communists to Judaism. “President Obama’s popularity is a fantasy only held by him and his dwindling legion of juice-box-drinking, anxiety-dog-hugging, safe-space-hiding snowflakes,” he said. Woolery also was active online, retweeting articles from Conservative Brief, insisting Democrats were trying to install a system of Marxism and spreading headlines such as “Impeach him! Devastating photo of Joe Biden leaks.” During the early stages of the pandemic, Woolery initially accused medical professionals and Democrats of lying about the virus in an effort to hurt the economy and Trump’s chances for reelection to the presidency. “The most outrageous lies are the ones about COVID-19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it,” Woolery wrote in July 2020. Trump retweeted that post to his 83 million followers. By the end of the month, nearly 4.5 million Americans had been infected with COVID-19 and more than 150,000 had died. Just days later, Woolery changed his stance, announcing his son had contracted COVID-19. “To further clarify and add perspective, COVID-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” Woolery posted before his account was deleted. Woolery later explained on his podcast that he never called COVID-19 “a hoax” or said “it’s not real,” just that “we’ve been lied to.” Woolery also said it was “an honor to have your president retweet what your thoughts are and think it’s important enough to do that.” In addition to his wife, Woolery is survived by his sons Michael and Sean and his daughter Melissa, Young said. Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits .

LOS ANGELES — UCLA might have lost its chance at playing in a bowl game, but there’s still important outcomes at stake Saturday when the Bruins take on Fresno State. “I think the biggest thing here is you just want to go out and have a competitive spirit,” linebacker Carson Schwesinger said at the Bruins’ Tuesday practice. “You could say there’s not much to play for, and stuff like that, but I think, with this team too, you have a lot of competitive people, so you line it up at any time, we’re going to go out there and play our hardest.” There’s a collective desire to conclude a season laden with low points on a high one. There are also individual objectives on the line. For those with aspirations to play at the next level, it’s another chance to showcase talent and put quality reps on film. For the underclassmen hoping to step into the place of those departing, it’s another chance to prove they belong on the field and would flourish with additional snaps. And for others, like Schwesinger, rewarding accolades are up for grabs. On Monday, the redshirt junior was announced as one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best linebacker. Schwesinger has recorded double-digit tackles in eight of the Bruins’ last nine games, peaking with 17 in a loss at Washington on Nov. 15. He also snagged two interceptions the week before that in UCLA’s victory over Iowa. Schwesinger’s journey to an elite, game-wrecking defensive captain is a testament to his work ethic and his discipline to be able to keep his head down and not say much, as he put it. When he does speak, it’s rarely about himself. “It’s technically a one-person award,” he said about the Butkus Award, “but that’s a whole team award.” One of the individuals who helped him become a finalist for the Butkus Award has a chance at his own hardware. On Tuesday, Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe was named one of the 65 nominees for the Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant coach. “Coach Malloe is a great guy,” defensive end Oluwafemi Oladejo said Tuesday. “Yeah, he’s a good football coach, but he’s also a life coach.” On multiple occasions this season, Malloe has been overcome with emotion when expressing how much he wants his unit to improve. He’s now being recognized for those results. Oladejo, who played two seasons at Cal before transferring to UCLA in late 2022, is about to play his last college football game. In his final year of eligibility, he willingly shifted down from linebacker to the defensive line and will have another chance Saturday to showcase his versatility and dominance at his somewhat new position. With Oladejo and potentially Schwesinger, a redshirt junior, soon moving on from UCLA, their younger teammates have one final chance to prove why they should fill those vacated snaps. Defensive lineman Devin Aupiu and linebacker Jalen Woods look like prime candidates to make that jump. Aupiu, a redshirt junior, had his best game of the season against USC on Saturday, highlighted by a strip sack of Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava. Woods had a season-high six tackles. “Last game, he played a lot of snaps and played really good,” Schwesinger said of Woods. “Same thing (this Saturday), just keep that momentum going.” Schwesinger nodded his head when asked if he was aware of the history of success Fresno State holds in its matchup with the Bruins. The Bulldogs have won the past four games between the programs, and while that last one came a year before Schwesinger arrived in Westwood, he knows how important it would be to be part of the group that returns to the win column. “We’re coming out ready to compete,” he said.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A Tennessee state senator is speaking out again against Shelby County General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) released courtroom audio of the hearing where Anderson released a man accused of shooting his co-worker at the FedEx World Hub last month on his own recognizance. Taylor’s take on Judge Anderson releasing people accused of serious violent crimes is no secret. Taking to the social media platform X, Taylor said he got his hands on audio of the hearing where Judge Anderson released accused gunman and 18-year-old Tyreese Earnest from jail on his own recognizance. RELATED: Emergency appeals filed by District Attorney in multiple violent offender cases, records show “You have an opportunity to do something with your life. You got to wake up, you put yourself in a tough position, but anything in the world you have to do, whether it be here, where you are or wherever it is, you have a chance to become a real man,” Anderson told Tyreese Earnest, according to the audio recording. According to investigators, Earnest and two others are accused of ambushing a coworker when he got to his vehicle in the FedEx Hub Employee parking lot last month. RELATED: Three men arrested in shooting of fellow FedEx employee, records show “I'm going to give you a chance to get your act together. But I'm going to watch you like a hawk in every court hearing. I'm going to have in the courtroom this week after what you had done, the fact that I know if I see one negative, one negative, he didn't call it anything like you supposed to,” Anderson told Earnest, according to the audio. Investigators identified Earnest as the shooter from surveillance video. A judicial commissioner set bail for Earnest at $200,000. That bail was later erased to nothing after Judge Anderson reviewed the case and decided to release Earnest on his own recognizance. RELATED: Man accused in FedEx parking lot shooting released on his own recognizance In his post, Taylor called out Mulroy for failing to not aggressively argue for a high bond for Earnest. FOX13 reached out to the DA’s office about the authenticity of the recording. A spokesperson confirmed it is real but incomplete. The statement said the recording was delayed and much of the prosecution’s argument is not captured. The DA's statement is below: "While the audio is authentic, it is incomplete, and failing to acknowledge that is highly misleading. Here's what happened: During the bail hearing, the prosecutor argued against the ROR and advocated for maintaining the bond. She specifically cited: the violent nature of the crime, the potential loss of life, the strength of the case, and the risk of flight. Unfortunately, a delay in activating the court recorder — an occasional issue in General Sessions Court, which is not a court of record — resulted in much of the argument not being captured. This context is important to clarify. The prosecutor is a seasoned attorney with over a decade of military prosecutorial experience. It is disappointing that narratives are being formed without consulting our office, as this undermines the work of our more than 100+ prosecutors who do this work every day. Misrepresenting their efforts is a disservice to the community." Anderson also released on their own recognizance, also known as ROR, the other two suspects connected to the shooting: twin brothers Jamarcus and Jamarion Odell. All three were given rules that must be followed or they return to jail with their bail doubled. “I only need one thing and you're going right back. And this time that you have now, it's going away. It's going to be doubled. So it's going to be $400,000 if you don't follow the rules. I don't know what this case is about yet, but I also realize when this case comes up for hearing, it continues to make no sense to me,” Anderson told Tyreese Earnest in audio recording. Below are some of the posts Sen. Taylor made Saturday on the social media platform X: "I have obtained the audio (link in comments) for the hearing where so-called Judge Anderson unacceptably granted a ROR to dangerous criminal Tyreese Earnest. Frankly, this whole bond hearing involving Judge Anderson and DA Mulroy’s office (expletive) me off! It highlights what is so wrong with our justice system in Shelby County. I recommend turning on alerts for my social media posts as I will be posting a series of informative explanations on what went wrong in this hearing. I know this hearing is long, but I also recommend listening to it for yourself to assess whether what the DA’s office is saying occurred actually happened. This grave injustice is made worse by misrepresentations from DA Mulroy, and the public should be outraged by his disingenuousness. In today’s post, I’d like to address the Assistant District Attorney’s failure to aggressively argue for a high bond to protect our community. Despite DA Mulroy stating “the DA’s office opposed lower bond and ROR”, the ADA in this case was as weak as a kitten’s meow. I never heard the Assistant District Attorney ask for a high cash bail and was not nearly forceful enough in fighting for bail. The ADA would have been just as effective sitting in the audience watching the proceeding as a spectator. Please don’t take my word for it, listen for yourself! I do not know what it will take for DA Mulroy to stop hiring defense attorneys, public defenders, and kids right out of law school as prosecutors and instead hire and train aggressive prosecutors! Our public and crime victims need aggressive prosecutors and not progressive prosecutors. At this time I don’t know who the ADA was at the hearing, but what we can hear is very different than what DA Mulroy presented to the public. Shelby County has a Judge Anderson and DA Mulroy problem. This lack of honesty from our community’s top prosecutor is unacceptable, and I am madder than a mosquito at a wax museum about it. To Make Memphis Matter, we need a well-trained and aggressive team of attorneys fighting for our community’s safety in the DA’s office. Unfortunately, it appears we have Restorative Justice Schemers like Decarcerate Memphis and Just City running our criminal justice system. I plan to change that!" FOX13 reached out to Mulroy's office on Saturday following Sen. Taylor's social media posts and his office issued the following the statement: "At the Tyrese Earnest bail hearing, the prosecutor clearly argued for keeping the bond amount the same and against any ROR. Unfortunately, the court failed to record the majority of the state’s argument at the hearing’s very beginning. This happens on occasion because General Sessions is not a court of record, and court staff must turn the recorder on, which sometimes includes a lag. Nonetheless, the ADA, a veteran with over a decade of experience as a military prosecutor, noted the violent nature of the crime; the fact that someone could have died; the strength of the prosecution’s case; the serious prison time the defendant was facing; and thus the significant risk of flight, all of which counseled against ROR. Had the senator taken the time to consult with us before making his public statement, we could have explained this to him. People without courtroom experience can confuse a professional tone with a lack of passion. Lawyers know that, unlike on TV, a vociferous argument can sometimes be counterproductive. Bottom line: There is no stronger response to a bail decision than a writ to appeal it, which we began drafting immediately. Senator Taylor’s criticism of our office’s advocacy is ill-informed and unfair." CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories:Cowboys vs. Commanders takeaways: Dallas stuns Washington, survives rival after holding on amid chaotic finish

Shares of Canada Carbon Inc. ( CVE:CCB – Get Free Report ) fell 33.3% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.01 and last traded at C$0.01. 859,726 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 283% from the average session volume of 224,190 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02. Canada Carbon Stock Down 33.3 % The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$0.02 and a 200 day moving average of C$0.02. The firm has a market cap of C$2.05 million, a PE ratio of -1.00 and a beta of 0.69. Canada Carbon Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Canada Carbon Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of natural resource properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for graphite deposits. It holds interests in the Miller property that covers an area of approximately 100 square kilometers located to the west of Montreal in the Grenville Township; and the Asbury Graphite property, which includes 22 claims covering an area of approximately 1,205.9 hectares located in the Laurentides region of southern Quebec. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Canada Carbon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canada Carbon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .“I Am Alive”: Naomi Osaka Banters With Taskmaster Patrick Mouratoglou After First Preseason Practice Session

The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More Latest Mobiles Samsung Galaxy A16 5G ₹15,800 Lava O3 Pro ₹6,999 Vivo X200 5G ₹65,999 Tecno Phantom V Flip 2 5G ₹54,999 Lava Yuva 4 ₹6,999 Poco C75 5G ₹7,999 Tecno POP 9 4G ₹6,499 Itel Color Pro 5G ₹9,199 Vivo Y18T ₹9,499 Lava Blaze 3 5G ₹10,999Scrap metal industry sues state, saying new copper metal law will shut down its industry

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Davina McCall 's partner, Michael Douglas , has opened up on when the TV star will be back on our screens after her recent brain surgery. The Masked Singer judge had a six-hour operation to remove a benign brain tumour earlier this month , which she found out about during a health scan after giving a talk for a menopause company. This week, she shared a video post-surgery as she recovers from the operation and confessed that is has been "bad", but that she was thankful to be at home with Michael and have her stepmum caring for her. After the operation, the beloved TV personality admitted that she has been having trouble with her short-term memory but remains hopeful that she can "work on it" . In a recent Instagram Live, Michael - who she's been dating since 2019 - gave another update and revealed when we can expect to see Davina back on our screens. "She's quite tired at the moment. She sleeps really well at night and goes to bed at ten and has nap in the morning, and sleeps for two or three hours in the afternoon," he said. He added: "It's the way your brain heals is by resting. Her body is naturally forcing her to rest... She's off till mid January. She's got a lot of time to relax and recuperate. It's been a very very emotional and quite an incredible experience. We're definitely out of the woods." The diagnosis came as a massive shock to the Masked Singer judge, who confessed she went in for a health scan thinking she would "ace it". Earlier this month, Davina made the startling revelation as she told fans about how the benign tumour, a colloid cyst, was discovered. "I was offered a health scan which I thought i was going to ace but it turned out i had benign brain tumour," she said, before confessing that it was "very rare", reports the Mirror . "I'm going to be in hospital for about nine days, and then I'm going to be going home, but I'm going to be off my phone for a while," she shared. As the news was made public, Michael took over her social media to keep fans updated on her health and has provided them with messages as she focuses on her recovery . However, Davina recently returned to her page to express gratitude for the support she's received. "It's just really nice to be back home. I'm on the other side. My short term memory is a bit remiss. But that is something that I can work on so I'm really happy about that. I'm writing everything I'm doing to keep myself feeling safe," she said. "I'm being brilliantly looked after by Michael and my mum. I'd quickly like to say big up the stepmums - I don't really say thank you to Gabby [McCall] enough. She's been an amazing rock my whole life. I have a massive dose of vitamin G. When something like this happens I just feel so grateful. I've always been grateful, I've always been lucky in my life." "I feel unbelievably grateful in my life right now, so thanks for everything. I'm on the mend, I'm resting, I'm sleeping loads and I feel really good. I just feel very lucky."Flag football scours nation with talent camps to uncover next wave of stars

NoneRoxy Horner is engaged to Jack Whitehall

A two-year-old boy from north London who was the youngest person to be treated for cancer with Nanoknife technology is now cancer-free. George, from Camden, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a type of soft tissue cancer in his liver and bile duct, in the summer of 2023. “I will never forget that moment,” said his father Jonathan. “It felt like my entire world had collapsed.” After three rounds of chemotherapy, he was treated using Nanoknife technology at King’s College Hospital, which uses electrical current to destroy areas of cancer. Dr Sam Godfrey, science engagement lead at Cancer Research UK, described Nanoknife as a state of the art, experimental treatment. By using electrical currents it allows surgeons to get a better margin of clearance around a tumour so that the cancer can be removed. King’s College Hospital had to apply for a licence to use the Nanoknife and performed the operation on the NHS. George was the youngest person in the world to have the procedure and the first child in the UK to receive Nanoknife treatment to his liver, Cancer Research UK said. Dr Godfrey said George’s “cutting edge surgical treatment will inform the treatment of children around the world.” “The surgeons managed to remove all the tumour and had clear margins all the way around the removed section of his liver,” Jonathan said. “This was the news we’d been hoping and praying for. “From the day George was diagnosed, all we did was push and push to get him the treatment he needed. “We loved that the Nanoknife was something new and ground-breaking and we felt we had some input into making it happen.” After 18 months, George was cancer-free and started nursery school in September. George has been awarded the Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award for the courage he showed throughout his treatment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Met Éireann weather warnings currently in place: 'Status Red warnings could still be issued for east coast' "We don't want people on the streets - at all - between 10pm and 2am during a Status Red warning" - Galway mayor Peter Keane Public transport services likely to be cancelled/curtailed during Storm Darragh Storm Darragh: Forecasters upgrade seven counties to Status Red wind warning, Bus Éireann services cancelled Bye for now Toll of Storm Darragh Wild conditions on the west coast 9pm on the dot and it went from 0 to 100 #StormDarragh has arrived in North Mayo pic.twitter.com/8FmVUGBlPf Gusts of over 140km/h now recorded Mace Head gusting up to 141kmh now at 10pm with Mayo Sailing club private station up to 148kmh. #StormDarragh pic.twitter.com/0VSoL6KrVs Large swathes of the west without power Thousands without power in the southwest due to Storm Darragh Flight diversions due to high winds ⚠️ Diversion #FR7722 / #RYR9PC from Gatwick to Cork is currently diverting to Shannon airport due to strong winds in cork #StormDarragh #aviation #avgeek #dublinairport #dublin #wind #corkairport #ireland #bert #storm #travel #goaround #diversion #corkairport #cork pic.twitter.com/jA7oGlyhk3 UK sends 'risk to life' alert to phones of over 3m people over Storm Darragh Storm Darragh about to draw near Ireland #StormDarragh is set to bring damaging winds, heavy rain, and some snow to parts of the UK and Ireland this weekend. Coastal gusts could reach 90 mph, with 60-70 mph gusts expected inland. pic.twitter.com/yqnWonrmQa Storm Darragh safety message from Gas Networks Ireland Met Éireann weather warnings currently in place: OPW warns Dublin Castle Christmas markets 'could close early' Due to Storm Darragh, Christmas at the Castle may close early this evening. On Saturday December 7th, the market will open at 1pm at the earliest, subject to the weather status. Please keep an eye on our socials & https://t.co/QgylwbOk9V for updates 📸Dublin Castle @opwireland pic.twitter.com/TxPA4cq34C Those planning "Christmas night out" advised to check local forecast and plan accordingly ❗Attention 📢Red warnings are now in place on the West & North West Coasts until 3pm tomorrow. Extremely strong and gusty northwest winds are expected. pic.twitter.com/ohNqIll1VF University of Galway to close during Red Alert hours **Weather Alert** Met Éireann have issued a Status Red wind warning for Galway and other counties from 10PM Friday, 6th December to 2AM Saturday, 7th December. University campuses in affected areas will be closed until the warning ends. If the warning is extended, the closure... pic.twitter.com/hZ58633OmS Leading homelessness organisations express 'grave concern' for asylum-seekers Assistance available to households Orange warning update Timings updated for Red warningsNoneDIRECT LINE has accepted a £3.6billion takeover offer from rival Aviva in a move that will create a home and car insurance giant. Aviva sweetened its bid to 275p-a-share yesterday after two previous offers were rejected. Its first gambit at 250p-a-share had been dismissed by Direct Line ’s board as “opportunistic”. However, investors and analysts believed Direct Line would be under pressure to submit to a swoop, as a turnaround of the struggling insurer came with risks and would require patience. The takeover cuts short new boss Adam Winslow’s overhaul efforts, after he only joined in March from Aviva, which is now buying the business he moved to. The 45-year-old has 516,175 shares in Direct Line which will be worth £1.5million at the takeover price. read more on business He has a further 2 million shares, worth another £5.5million from the Aviva deal, which were awarded, ironically, when he forfeited awards from his previous employer. As one wag on social media said: “He won’t need to worry about his car insurance renewal going up”. A takeover will make Aviva stronger in car insurance, with Direct Line the UK’s second biggest provider of motorist premiums behind Admiral . It will also give the combined business 15 per cent share of the home insurance market. Most read in Business Analysts expect it will have to go through regulator and Bank of England approvals. WATER BIDDER TROUBLED Thames Water has received a bid from Scottish utility firm Castle Water. It is owned by Tory party treasurer Graham Edwards and infrastructure investor Covaliz — and supported by France’s Suez. Thames Water has warned it could run out of cash next year. £298K HOUSE THE average UK house price hit a new record high of £298,083 in November, according to Halifax . Property values rose by 1.3 per cent compared to the previous month — the fifth increase in a row. The lender’s mortgage chief, Amanda Bryden, predicted “prices will keep rising gradually next year.” Good week: Stuart Machin, boss of M&S, after winning a battle to demolish and rebuild its asbestos-ridden Marble Arch store. Bad week: Frasers Group chief Michael Murray who lowered profit forecasts after the “punch in the face” Budget.

B.C. charities, passport seekers feel the pinch as Canada Post strike drags onGet essential daily news for Fort Worth area Sign up to receive insightful, in-depth local stories today. 📩 Anette Landeros is walking away from the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in style. Landeros, the organization’s departing president and CEO, accepted two gifts — tan cowboy boots embroidered with the chamber’s logo and a white Texas Rangers World Series baseball jersey emblazoned with her last name and the No. 1 — from board members at the end of a chamber luncheon Dec. 6. The chamber’s accomplishments and goals were highlighted in the 2024 State of the Chamber address by Landeros, who will become chief strategic officer for Trinity Metro, the Fort Worth-area transit agency . She officially exits the chamber on Dec. 13 and starts her new job on Dec. 16. “I’m excited to move on to my next journey,” she said. The chamber event, held at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, attracted hundreds of people, including several City Council members and local business leaders, as Landeros recapped her five years as head of the organization — and announced future events that will highlight the city’s Latino leadership and businesses. The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic and Latin-American civil rights organization, will hold its 2026 national convention in Fort Worth, Landeros announced. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. “It took a lot of work but I’m glad they’re coming,” she said of LULAC members. Fort Worth is also being considered for the 2026 convention of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, she added. “Hosting both would be incredible,” Landeros said. “Fingers crossed, we’re selected.” In her address, Landeros celebrated the Fort Worth Hispanic chamber’s evolution to add more programming and events to cultivate Latino leaders and provide them with new opportunities to grow their careers and businesses. The Hispanic organization also partnered with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce for events and training. In 2024, the Hispanic chamber kicked off plans for renovation of its offices, advocated for minority- and women-owned businesses, developed state legislative priorities and worked to grow the city’s historically Hispanic Northside neighborhood through the Main Street America program. During Landeros’ tenure, the chamber also launched the Hencho en Fort Worth — Spanish for “Made in Fort Worth” — campaign to spotlight local businesses, fostered scholarships for the master of business administration degree program at Texas Christian University, and created a summer music series and the Northside Posadas Artisan Mercado. The mercado will welcome visitors on three Saturdays this month, including Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, at 1420 N. Main St. The chamber also created a publication to celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary, held its first Fourth of July fireworks show on the Northside, and opened a multimedia room for community members to create content free of charge. “We’re really excited about that,” Landeros said. She also highlighted the chamber’s goals for 2025, which include reimagining chamber events and programs, strengthening member relations, advocating for members during the upcoming Texas legislative session, and growing Northside through economic development efforts. Northside sits between the area north of downtown targeted for Panther Island development and the bustling Stockyards district. Landeros has led the charge to include Northside residents and Hispanic entrepreneurs in discussions about economic development and gentrification resulting from Panther Island. The biggest goal, Landeros said, is a seamless leadership transition as the search for her replacement starts up. “We have officially engaged a search firm,” Landeros told the Fort Worth Report. “The executive board decided to go ahead and make the investment in a formal search firm, assisting the chamber through this transition. Primarily, because we recognize that it is kind of a vital position, not only for the organization, but for the Latino community in general in terms of the chamber playing just a strong role in the voice for the community.” The chamber’s search for a new president and CEO — officially opened for about a week — already attracted over 60 candidates, Landeros said. “Our board members and myself are fielding any phone calls or questions people may have on the position,” she said. “I’ve had a few people reach out to me on what that demand is on a personal life. We’re very open and transparent about that.” The chamber, she said, is “just trying to be a welcoming organization that is excited about their next leader. “So hopefully lots of amazing, qualified candidates apply,” Landeros said. “My dream is that we have just a wealth of talent that is competing for this role. I really do feel like the chamber has shown it can do really important things and so how can we make sure we have the right leader to do those things.” Making the decision to transition away from her chamber role was bittersweet only because the organization is in strong shape, she added. “We have an amazing board, we have an amazing team, we’re in a great financial situation,” Landeros said. “We’re taking on meaty, important work and making an incredible impact on the community.” Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org . News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report December 6, 2024

Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100India’s urban population will increase from 400 million in the last decade to 800 million over the next three decades. While this offers an opportunity to transform India’s urban landscape, there are significant financial challenges that must be overcome to get there. A recent World Bank report estimates that India will require about ₹70 lakh crore by 2036 to meet its urban infrastructure needs. Current government investment (2018 figures) in urban infrastructure stands at around ₹1.3 lakh crore annually. This is just a little over one-fourth of the required ₹4.6 lakh crore per year. Broadly, about 50% is estimated for basic urban services, with the other half for urban transport. Issues at the local level Municipal finances, a crucial component of urban infrastructure funding, have remained stagnant for decades. Since 2002, municipal finance has stayed at just 1% of GDP. Municipal bodies contribute 45% of urban investments, while the remainder is managed by parastatal agencies. Despite an increase in central and State transfers from 37% to 44%, the financial health of municipalities remains precarious. Tax revenue grew by only 8% between 2010 and 2018, grants by 14%, and non-tax revenue by 10.5%. However, the share of municipalities’ own revenue sources has declined from 51% to 43%, reflecting a diminishing capacity for self-sufficiency. Collection inefficiencies also exist in urban local bodies (ULB). For instance, data from 2017-18 reveals that ULBs in Bengaluru and Jaipur collect only 5%-20% of their potential tax revenue. Nationwide, property tax collection stands at a paltry ₹25,000 crore, which is only 0.15% of GDP. Further, cost recovery for services ranges from 20% to 50%, highlighting the significant gap between the costs of urban services and the revenues generated from them. Indian cities also struggle with low absorptive capacity, further complicating the urban infrastructure landscape. According to the Fifteenth Finance Commission report, about 23% of total municipal revenue remains unspent, indicating a surplus in the municipal system that is not being effectively utilised. Even major cities such as Hyderabad and Chennai only managed to spend 50% of their capital expenditure budgets in 2018-19. The utilisation of central scheme funds also leaves much to be desired, with the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) achieving 80% utilisation and the Smart Cities Mission reaching 70%. Public-private partnerships (PPPs), another crucial avenue for urban infrastructure financing, have seen a marked decline over the past decade. PPP investments in urban infrastructure peaked at ₹8,353 crore in 2012 but plummeted to just ₹467 crore by 2018. The viability of PPP projects is often dependent on the availability of payments or viability funding for ensuring bankability; but due to the lack of project-specific revenues, these projects further diminish commercial attractiveness. The next step is reform Given the myriad of financial challenges outlined, it is imperative to adopt a dual-pronged approach with specific long-term and medium-term measures. In the long term, carrying out structural reform would be critical. These reforms should include strengthening State finance commissions to enhancing autonomy and capacity for better financial management at the municipal level. Additionally, empowering municipal governments with greater financial and administrative autonomy will be critical in enabling them to manage and allocate resources more effectively for urban development. This can then attract the much-needed private capital, through mechanisms such as debt borrowing, and municipal bonds. In the medium term, the following measures can significantly transform the development of sustainable urban infrastructure. First, develop a robust pipeline of projects. The High-Powered Expert Committee and 12th Plan Working Group have developed a financing framework to meet the ₹70 lakh crore urban infrastructure investment requirement over the next 20 years. About 15% of this total investment could potentially come through PPPs, translating to roughly 250-300 PPP projects annually. To achieve this, a pipeline of 600-800 projects must be in place. Second, decouple project preparation from financial assistance. The last two decades have shown that investments in urban infrastructure have not advanced to the extent required, often due to hurried project preparation. As new national programmes are conceived, it is essential to decouple project preparation from financial assistance. Ensuring that these projects are designed for financial, social, and environmental sustainability is vital, especially given India’s vulnerability to climate change. Third, leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for improved operations. Urban service delivery, particularly in public transport, remains hampered by outdated practices. Embracing DPI can revolutionise the management and the operation of public services, positioning India as a global leader in this domain. Fourth, capture land value in transport projects. With half of the ₹70 lakh crore investment by 2036 earmarked for urban transport, particularly metro rail projects, there is a unique opportunity to harness land value. Metro and rail projects should be integrated with urban development, ensuring that they bring jobs closer to transit hubs and contribute to the overall efficiency and design of cities. The need for collaboration To conclude, India’s urban future hinges on the ability to address these financial and structural challenges head-on. The stakes are high, and this is the window for action. By pursuing both immediate and long-term strategies, India can build urban infrastructure that meets the demands of its growing cities, thus ensuring sustainable and inclusive development for the decades to come. The path forward will require collaboration across government levels, private sector participation, and a relentless focus on innovation and governance efficiency. Madhav Pai is Chief Executive Officer, WRI India. The views expressed are personal Published - November 25, 2024 12:08 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit urban planning / population / India / finance (general) / government / investments / public works & infrastructure / local authority / taxes and duties / bengaluru / Jaipur / properties (general) / Hyderabad / Chennai / bonds / public transport / mass transit / railway / development / Sustainability / climate change